Col. Misfar Al-Juaid, spokesman for Jeddah police, said one of the Saudis, a 22-year-old unemployed man, was arrested for stealing SR70,000 from a computer shop. “Sharafiyah police received a call from the shop’s Saudi owner saying that his shop had been robbed. Police were able to catch the man within a short time using fingerprints found at the scene of the crime,” said Al-Juaid.

He added that two youths were arrested in the city’s Al-Samer district for stealing valuables from parked cars. “The man whose car had been broken into contacted the police. He reported that his wallet containing a debit card and other insurance cards had been stolen from his car. The thieves also stole a tire and a fire extinguisher,” said Al-Juaid.

On arrest, one of the youths admitted to breaking into the car, while the other said he was not involved and was with his friend when he broke into the car. In a third incident, police in the downtown Balad area caught an Ethiopian pickpocket. “The 30-year-old man was arrested after an expatriate doctor reported that a man had taken his wallet containing his iqama and several other valuable documents,” said Al-Juaid.

He added that the man is in police custody and is being questioned to verify whether he has been involved in other similar crimes.